The White House is launching a new commission to combat drug addiction Wednesday to be overseen by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who for years has been passionate about the scourge of drug abuse.
Trump and Christie will lead a listening session on the subject at the White House on Wednesday, convening Attorney General Jeff Sessions and several other Cabinet members, drug policy experts and advocates, as well as a recovering addict.
Ending opioid addiction was a centerpiece of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, as well as Christie’s, and advisers say the president is committed to using the powers of his office to raise awareness and develop new policies to tackle the problem.
Christie told the Associated Press that Trump asked him to lead the drug abuse efforts while serving as governor, and that he currently has “no interest in having a permanent role” in the administration.
“He asked me to help with this, and I’m going to,” Christie told the AP. “It’s an issue that I care about a lot in New Jersey and for the country, and so the president asked me to do this and I was happy to.”
The drug commission is part of the new White House Office of American Innovation, chaired by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser. Christie’s role has been in the works for several weeks. On Tuesday, Christie and Kushner had lunch to discuss the project. The two men were said to have had an icy relationship during the campaign and transition period – Christie was removed as chairman of Trump’s transition and replaced by Vice President Mike Pence – but have been working together amicably in recent weeks, according to White House officials.
Joining Trump, Christie and Sessions at the Wednesday session are Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly. Also in attendance will be: Don Wright, acting assistant secretary for health; Charles “Chuck” Rosenberg, acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Richard Baum, acting director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy; Mariano Rivera, a former New York Yankee and philanthropist; Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi; Bertha Madras, a Harvard Medical School professor and former drug policy official; Pam Garozzo, a drug awareness advocate; AJ Solomon, founder of the Victory Bay Recovery Center; and Vanessa Vitolo, a recovering addict.
(c) 2017, The Washington Post ยท Philip Rucker
